- Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is increasing the price of its Full-Self Driving software.
- In a tweet on Friday, the tech mogul said the new price of $12,000 will soon be implemented.
- It represents an increase of $2,000 and will take effect on January 17, he added.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Friday the company is lifting the price of its Full-Self Driving software to $12,ooo.
Musk announced the new price, which is an increase of $2,000, will be applied on January 17. It will, however, only affect customers in the US, he said.
He added, in response to a Twitter follower, that the monthly subscription price of $199 will rise when the Full-Self Driving software gets a wide release.
Tesla has raised the price of its Full-Self Driving software many times in the past. Musk previously warned that the price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability. He expects the final price to be "in excess of $100,000."
The software provides the ability to automatically change lanes, enter and exit highways, recognize stop signs and traffic lights, and park.
It does not, however, make a vehicle fully autonomous, as the company warns on its subscription page. "The currently enabled features require a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment," the website states.
Last July, Tesla rolled out a new beta of its Full Self-Driving software. Though it was able to control the vehicle in some situations, it still made some key mistakes.
In recent months, the company was criticized for its Autopilot software, which includes Full Self-Driving. Last year, the family of a 15-year-old who was killed in a car crash with a Tesla on Autopilot sought to sue the company. The lawsuit alleged that Tesla's Autopilot was defective and failed to detect traffic conditions.
Emails sent from one of Tesla's lawyers at the time said: "The police faulted the Tesla driver — not the car — for his inattention and his driving at an unsafe speed."
The company has also come under fire from lawmakers as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last June that it was investigating Autopilot's role in 30 crashes.